Mar 26, 2015

Earlier this month Lenovo announced during Mobile World Congress 2015 trade fair the upcoming availability of its A700 mid-range Android smartphone.

Apart from the fact that it comes with more than decent features, Lenovo A7000 is also among the first to feature Dolby Atmos sound technology. According to BGR India, Lenovo has already sent invitations for a launch event that will take place in India on April 7. Although the company hasn't named the A7000 as the next smartphone to be introduced in India the fact that the Dolby Atmos logo is stamped on the invitation suggests that this is the device that will be revealed early next month. Obviously, it's too early to talk about pricing options and availability, but there's a high chance that new information on the matter will emerge in the coming days.

Moving on to specs, Lenovo A7000 is a pretty decent mid-end smartphone that will ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system out of the box.

Octa-core processor and 5.5-inch HD display

The device has been confirmed to be equipped with a 64bit octa-core MediaTek MT6752m processor clocked at 1.5GHz, as well as 2GB of RAM. The bad news is the A7000 packs only 8GB of internal memory, but users will be able to further expand storage up 32GB via microSD card slot. Lenovo A7000 sports a large 5.5-inch HD (720p) IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display and it's powered by a 2,900 mAh battery. On the back, the smartphone features an 8-megapixel photo snapper with autofocus, LED flash and video recording, while in the front there's a secondary 5-megapixel camera for video calls and selfies.

Last but not least, the A7000 offers multiple connectivity options, including dual-SIM, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB, 3.5mm jack and GPS with AGPS support. We'll be keeping an eye out for more details on Lenovo A7000's availability and pricing options, so stay tuned for more on this one.

HTC is expected to debut the One M9+ on April 8, but a bunch of other phone models coming from the same company have also been spotted online.

It looks like HTC is planning to unveil two new One E handsets and we could see them arrive as soon as the “More than One” event (not just one like we previously thought). According to popular leakster @upleaks, the HTC One E9 (A53) will launch with a 1080p display of the 5-inch variety (as the One M9) or with a 5.5-inch one (like the One M9+). We’re also told HTC will be employing a 13MP rear snapper with this model.

The second model goes by the name One E9+ (A55) and offers a 5.5-inch QHD display and an octa-core MT6795 chip under the hood fitted with 3GB of RAM. HTC will probably offer the same 20MP camera we’ve seen on the One M9. All in all, the One E9+ is quite similar to the One M9+, but the biggest difference is that the former is made of plastic.

Previous rumors had us believe that the E9 phones would make a debut on the market in March, but since the month is almost over, we have to assume the reveal of the two devices is scheduled for the April event.

A few hours ago, the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max and Nubia Z9 mini leaked in press renders ahead of the official announcement. Well, the two phones have now been announced by the manufacturer, so we’ll be talking about them a little bit.

Following last year’s pattern, the Chinese device maker rolled out two handsets with varying screen sizes.

The Nubia Z9 Max is a Snapdragon 810 affair

The top-tier is the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max, which arrives with a 5.5-inch 1080 display. We have been hearing some rumors according to which the Z9 Max was expected to make a debut with a QHD display (2560 x 1440 pixels), but as you can see, this is not the case. Sorry, super crisp display enthusiasts! Like most self-respecting hardware makers this spring, ZTE makes use of a Snapdragon 810 processor to power the whole gizmo, working in concert with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card). The phone is also equipped with Hi-Fi audio experience with 7.1 channel surround and a pretty sensible 2900 mAh battery pack. Most importantly, you should know that the Nubia Z9 Max is made of premium materials, including a titanium frame and a thin aluminum alloy casing covered with reinforced patterned glass on the back.

The phone ships out with Android 5.0 out of the box with the company’s own Nubia UI V2.8 version on top.

The Nubia Z9 mini boasts the mid-range Snapdragon 615

As for the second model, the Z9 mini makes an appearance with a 5-inch 1080p screen and a Snapdragon 615 chip under the bonnet. ZTE is offering 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card) with this device. You’ll also find the same camera combo of 16MP/8MP shooters on board the phone. Even if the specs have been toned down a little, the Z9 mini also features a titanium frame. The 5-incher draws life from a 2900 mAh battery and also runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. Both phones are dual-SIM devices.

What’s even cooler about the two new phones is that users will get to swap out the back covers and replace them with options ranging from wood to denim-textured back plates. The company hasn't announced pricing or availability details, but we expect the models to be relatively affordable, especially the 5-incher. Images gallery below, click for larger view.

This isn't the first time we learn about HTC's unannounced One E9, but it's the first time we actually see it in action. Since the Taiwanese company confirmed an event for April 8, we expect it to announce at least one new smartphone.

The new smartphone to be unveiled by HTC on April 8 might be HTC One M9+, HTC One E9 or both. The One E9 has already been approved by TENAA, the Chinese regulatory commission, and since the launch event will take place on April 8, there's a high chance that this will be announced on April 8. Just like the One M9+, which is an improved version of HTC's flagship smartphone, the One E9 seems to be a better variant of the HTC One M9. For some, the One E9 might also be better than the One M9+ since it comes with a larger display. Apart from that though, there seem to be few differences between HTC One E9 and One M9+, so their pricing might be very similar.

The latest pictures coming from China confirm the HTC One E9 comes with BoomSound stereo speakers once again, but also a front-facing camera, which might be the same 4-UltraPixel photo snapper included in previous HTC One models.

Two HTC One E9 models might be launched on the market

The One E9 might be available in two versions, and one of them might replace the 4-UltraPixel camera in the front with a 13-megapixel camera. We also know the One E9 will be powered by a 64-bit octa-core MediaTek 6795T processor clocked at 2GHz and 3GB of RAM. The smartphone is expected to sport 32GB of internal memory, but there's no info on microSD card slot. The only difference between the One E9 and One M9+ that's been confirmed in the latest leaks is the slightly larger 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display, whereas the latter packs a smaller 5.2-inch screen.

HTC One E9 is rumored to ship with Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system with Sense 7.0 UI on top. It's also worth mentioning that on the back the handset will boast a 20.7-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash and video recording.